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Welcome to the Durable Entrepreneur Show, where we talk with the experts to know how to help early stage entrepreneurs get from day one to year six.
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More than half of all small businesses fail in their first five years, but you are not going to be one of them.
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Listen up and apply what you learned to help you survive and thrive well beyond year five.
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I'm your host, Sean O'Hara, and today you'll be hearing from Connor Keneen.
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Connor is a former marketing vice president for a global Fortune 500 corporation who started a new life and built a self-reliant and independent career as a keynote speaker, business humorist, and a consultant.
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And he has a lot of fun and valuable wisdom to share that will help early stage entrepreneurs succeed in growing their business.
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But if nothing else, I'm sure you'll enjoy just listening to his strong Irish brobe.
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During our conversation, he'll talk about how the lowest moment of his career became the rocket fuel he needed to create and build his own dream.
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He'll also talk about why adding humor to your business presentations isn't just about being funny and the neuroscience behind why it builds stronger client connections.
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He'll also discuss his laugh framework, a step-by-step approach any entrepreneur can use to become funnier with clients.
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Even if you don't think you have a funny bone in your body.
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And a lot more.
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All right, it's time to get down to business.
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Would you please now welcome Connor Caneen to the Durable Entrepreneur Show?
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Hey, Sean, great to be here, man.
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Delighted from a freezing Chicago.
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Thank you for being here with us, Connor.
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Um, I always like to start out by asking people if they could share a moment early on in their entrepreneurial journey that nearly broke them and what it taught you that may be valuable to any early stage entrepreneur.
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All right, good question.
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And it actually goes back to when I was back in uh corporate land, uh, Sean.
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I was head of uh marketing for a large consumer goods company, Helen's Main A's would have been the main brand in Ireland, and uh doing well, and so I thought, and actually the results were really good.
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But we had a change of CEO in the organization.
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A new guy uh came in.
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He was had a different mindset to what I had, uh different uh values, definitely, to what I had.
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And after a while, we just started a clash, clash, clash.
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Uh eventually he called me in one day and he says, Connor, uh, I do not want you here in uh this uh seat.
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Uh you go over and you look after the food service business.
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No, that at that stage, food service was seen as being the the ugly stepsister, and where people were put out to grass.
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I was uh pretty young at the time, uh ambitious, and I'd I had a high-profile job.
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So within the community I was in, um it was a big slap in the face.
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I was mad, absolutely mad, especially based on the results that I had been achieving.
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Um I two things that happened.
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One is that um I debate what I was going to do, uh, but the first day I was uh transferred over to the food service uh business.
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The office was in an area where the CEO would walk by when he was coming into the office.
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I was in the office at seven o'clock that morning on the first day in a road where I said I just didn't deserve to be put into.
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Um and I remember looking at a CEO looking through the window, and there was a look of surprise on his face that uh Connor was actually in the office at this stage.
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Uh, I think he probably just expected me to walk.
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The other thing that happened, Sean, I really believe in the power of this, is that a couple of days after I was in that uh office, I came in after lunch on one occasion and I saw a potted plant on my desk.
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And the potted plant, there was a little message on it that said, Connor, life is not always fair.
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Hang in there.
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And it was that simple message from one of the work colleagues that I got on well with, but I wasn't necessarily say I was friends with that really motivated me to stay in that organization.
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Uh, what then happened was I built the food service into the best producing food service business by growth in the European sector, which resulted in me being transferred to the UK, looking after UK and Ireland, and then got me transferred to looking after marketing for the United States business.
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All because I was, as I perceived it, unfairly pushed aside because of a guy who had different uh values and business uh uh ideas uh to me.
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But it made me realize that I had an ability to bounce back from problems and challenges and falls, and that really, as you speak a lot about, is what entrepreneurs need to be able to do.
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Tomorrow will be better.
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Excellent.
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What what a great example of resilience.
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So, but was the whole thing initially just uh it was that you just had two different perspectives on how to get things done, or do you feel like it was just like more of a personal move, like nah, just get him out of here?
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Um part of it was uh personal, but the other thing I mean, I'm not saying anything out of court now.
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I said our values were different.
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The guy was fired, he was transferred over to another major European job later on.
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He was fired for fraud within the company.
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Oh no, I did not necessarily know, and that's absolutely true.
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I did not necessarily know that's what was going on at that stage, but it was just a different uh mindset that that we had, and also um I think uh you I'd grown up with other CEOs in the organization who were positive, uh affirmative, etc.
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But that is basically what uh did uh happen in that situation.
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Well, you're better to be in that situation kind of uh cast aside than be uh guilty by association, right?
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Wow.
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But but yeah, great example of of resilience, of mindset, but also you had to deal with just the emotional aspect of everything feeling very personal, and then collect yourself and move forward based on on where you were now, and ultimately become very successful in that role.
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Right.
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Yeah, and that's absolutely true.
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And I think one of the things that um I really appreciated at that stage was that uh your sense of self-worth is really critical uh to you, and that the more you uh believe in yourself without being kind of uh over the the top, um uh the better your chances of being able to overcome uh challenges.
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And uh I genuinely do try and continue to to grow my knowledge.
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Uh I I think, for instance, when it comes to AI now, I'm pretty well on top of that, and I find that incredibly exciting.
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And I think that's one of the things that entrepreneurs need to be able to do as well, to be able to continue to uh develop and grow, and to be able to uh find ways to push through the hard times, and there are hard times, there's no doubt about that.
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So all part of it, right?
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But well, thanks for sharing that great story.
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I love that, love that.
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So um talk to me about the Irishman Speaks, what that is all about, and and your inspiration behind the Irishman Speaks.
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Right, okay.
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So it's uh as I said, uh Connor Caneen, Irishman Speaks, and then I say, I wonder where that brand came from, you know.
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So the the core uh objective and mission, Sean, is to improve people, performance, and productivity with a smile.
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Improve people, performance, and productivity with a smile.
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And I primarily work as a keynote speaker, uh workshop facilitator and uh trainer to go into organizations to improve their people's performance and the productivity.
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And uh that has come about through my experience uh over the years working in Ireland, UK, and USA.
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And again, this is an interesting one for uh entrepreneurs.
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It did not happen overnight.
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Uh when I came over here to the United States, uh we were Unilever was the organization that had taken us over at this stage, so uh was looking after the food service marketing for the United States.
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A few years after we came, I came over, uh, Unilever wanted me to go back to Europe.
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And basically, my daughter had just started in Wake Forest in North Carolina.
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I previously messed up her teenage years by dragging her over to the United States, and she did brilliantly, absolutely love her for the way she handled that the change.
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But I said I don't want to mess her education up again.
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Um, so what I did was I kind of set to Unilever, well, I basically told Unilever to get stuffed with their suggestion that I move to the Europe.
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They told me get stuffed, Sean.
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So we'd a mutual stuffing, all right?
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Okay, so that's how Connor Canine became an independent operator.
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That was the so it wasn't necessarily a plan at that stage because I was doing pretty well in the corporate side as well.
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Um okay.
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So then what happens is that I did some work uh on consulting on the food service area.
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Uh because I'd been uh let go, I got involved with people who were in job search and just decided.
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So the way some of them were really, really struggling uh with the job search.
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I wasn't because I think I just had found freedom, I the bird had flown kind of thing.
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Um so I offered to just help people in job search to with some ideas to motivate them.
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On one occasion, with when I was with the outplacement company, they asked me to do it again and again and again.
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So what I saw happening, developing, was that instead of just being a speaker or a consultant of the food service area, I saw that I had messaging uh that I was able to get across to people that motivated them and helped them to improve themselves and to overcome uh challenges.
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Combine that then, Sean, with the fact that I won the Chicago Humorous Speaker of the Year.
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I'll give you the title of that in a second.
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Uh, and all of them kind of morphed into me realizing that, hey, uh an avenue that I would be good at and I really enjoy is uh keynote speaking, facilitation, workshop training, uh, etc.
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And eventually, uh, after about me being on my own for two or three years, I morphed into Irish Man Speaks, improving people, performance, and productivity with a smile.
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So you had a really, really interesting niche.
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So, what was that like developing the content and then bringing that content out to the marketplace?
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Did initially was the response like, hey, this is a great idea, or or was it a little bit more swimming uphill at first?
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Well, I think the the reaction was great, but there was a lot of swimming uphill.
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And by that I mean that uh I realized that if I wanted to uh be successful on the consulting on the food service side, which is what I decided to do after I left the Unilever, I needed to get visibility.
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Uh, with my track record, I was able to get a few speaking engagements at conferences, uh, normally unpaid at that stage, and uh I was getting a really good reaction to it, uh Sean.
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People were saying, All right, you got good messages and you got a style that is probably a little bit uh different.
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And then uh I realized that hey, this is actually way more enjoyable than doing consulting projects where you're away for maybe eight days at a time, kind of thing, and uh you're not sure what the end result is going to be anyway.
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With keynote speaking, uh you get really get immediate feedback, uh, and you know whether or not you're good, bad, or indifferent.
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And over a period of two to three years, I realized this is really the road I want to go down.
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And I uh, as I say, the other thing that made a real difference, I did join Toastmasters, and I'm still actually involved in Toastmasters and a professional speakers group here in the Chicagoland area.
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I competed in a number of Toastmasters speech competitions, and if you want to hone a message, doing Toastmasters speech competitions is one brilliant way of doing it because you've got a message about uh, for instance, that potted plant uh little story I told where uh the Carmel was the lady who gave me the potted plant when I was pushed aside in Ireland.
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I can tell a five to seven minute story on that, which started off uh with just a few ums and ahs, etc.
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But as I moved through the district and through the competition, I came up with a story now that is a five to seven minutes long that is just polished to without being pompous to perfection.
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That's over the top, obviously.
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But what it did do is it really helped me to hone the messaging.
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The other thing is uh Toastmasters has got humorous speech competitions, so that allowed me to hone some of my humor messages, and the the one that won me the Chicago humorous speaker of the year, Sean was a speech on customer service.
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Uh that's not very funny, but customer service customer service in San Quentin jail is funny, and that's what the speech is about.
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Okay, okay.
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Oh, really?
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Yeah, that gets your attention.
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That definitely gets your attention.
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Indeed.
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And you know what?
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I still actually use some lines about that when I'm talking about companies having clear vision and uh clear uh mission because I say, all right, the danger with a lot of organizations, and you know this as well, uh, is that um some of the goals or some of the missions and the uh visions are so waffly um that they don't really mean anything.
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So for instance, a vision statement for San Quentin jail could go as follows Here in San Quentin, we are dedicated to your security.
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Your freedom is our number one concern.
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Okay.
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Oh, that's great.
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So it went on from there, and I was talking about uh the uh reception desk at San Quentin, and uh I are you a frequent cell member, sir?
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I mean that kind of stuff, like I said, I was talking about.
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So that's true, that is great.
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Uh so a few things that I love about what you just shared with our listeners are that one, you had seen success as a speaker already, but but you continued to pursue the craft, right?
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With with the Toastmasters and and obviously gunning for that award that that you received.
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So a couple things obviously that come out of that.
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I'm I'm sure, as you said, you really were able to upgrade your skill, but also there's the credibility of the award, too.
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I would think that once you put that as down as a credential, people know Toastmasters, and it is pretty much the authority, I feel like, the in terms of the seal of approval.
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So once you had that, did that actually make it a little easier for you to have conversations with people?
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Like, did you wear that like a badge?
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Here's the paradox, Sean.
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No, it didn't, and I don't use it in my profile.
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What I find is that Toastmasters is a wonderful way to hone your skills.
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So, for instance, we meet uh two Sunday nights a week here in the Chicagoland area, if I'm not uh traveling, and I can do a 15-minute piece from one of my keynotes that I'm kind of working on, and then there's a round robin evaluation from other professional speakers.
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It is really, really good.
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However, the perception of Toastmasters amongst a lot of event planners is that it's for amateurs and juniors.
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So I actually do not reference Toastmasters uh at all in my marketing material, but what I do believe though is that Toastmasters is a major vehicle to help me to get where I am today and to continue to uh refine my my craft and my material.
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People should get involved in Toastmasters if they want to own their craft.
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What is the power of humor in business?
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Right.
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Uh the basic power in of humor in business, Sean, is that I say that the reason why you should add humor to your presentation is not to make your client or your audience laugh.
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The reason why you should add relevant humor to your presentation is to connect better with your client by making them laugh.
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And there is serious neuroscience uh studies that have been done that show that when you uh put a smile on your client's face, and by the way, when I'm talking about humour here now, most of the time, I want to make it clear I'm not talking about belly laughs, we're not talking about Kevin Hart or things like that.
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Uh that'd be great if you could do it, but then you'd be making Kevin Hart type of money.
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But what I'm talking about is putting a smile on the clients or the audience's face a few times during your presentation.
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When you do that, the feel-good neurochemicals in the brain, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, etc., start to pop.
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They help to make the client, the audience, feel better about themselves.
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They actually are bonding chemicals, especially if some uh oxytocin is released, which will happen in a large group.
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Um, and as a result of that, your message again, re neuroscience uh suggests uh this uh your message becomes more memorable.
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It it is um it is very on point with the quote.
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I don't know if it was my Angelo who said people will remember the way that you made them feel.
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Yeah.
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Right?
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And so so literally that's very powerful.
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People don't know you now, they're getting introduced to you, and then literally it's a feeling, right?
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That that endorphin the bath of serotonin dopamine and all that, and you're literally making people laugh and smile, and so there's a feeling, so they're almost like probably thankful to you at the end of your of your engagement, right?
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Because you actually you gave them something more than just information, inspiration.
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Absolutely, yeah, yeah.
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And uh, I mean, people say to me, uh Connor, all right, I get that concept, but I'm not funny.
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So uh I've got uh a concept called the the laugh framework, uh L-A-U-G-H, where people can actually use the concept to add humour to their presentation.
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And the the core element of that, Sean, the first one is uh listen, as an um, if you listen to humor or see humor around, I'll give you an example.
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Uh we're recording this now in uh early February.
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Uh last uh 24th of December, I was at Christmas Mass, okay?
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And uh the priest decides to do a little bit of crowd work after he just spoke about the nativity scene.
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He goes around to a few kids and he says, uh look at the nativity scene there.
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Who would you like to be in?
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The nativity scene.
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And uh some kid says, uh, uh, I'd like to be an angel because I could punish people.
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And the church laughs.
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What the hell is he talking about?
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The priest says, Why would you like to punish people or be an angel?
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And he said, Well, I have a lot of friends who are annoying and I'd like to punish them.
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Okay, so the church is laughing again.
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You can feel the kind of vibe actually just getting more better in the room.
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He asked uh two other kids, and then he goes, uh little John here, don't know what his name was, but a little kid and he says, Who would you like to be?
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I'd like to be Jesus.
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Why would you like to be Jesus?
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Well, Jesus got gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and I'd be rich.
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Okay.
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No, um, that is a piece of humor that I picked up and I've actually used on a few occasions.
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And the way I've used it, Sean, is that one is to show that you can get humor anywhere.
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Uh two is that you could feel the oxytocin just generating in the room, which is the bonding chemical.
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But the third one, though, and this is more important, I think, for communicators, is that none of those kids understood the real meaning of Christmas.
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Um, and if you as a communicator think I'm saying something, but my audience is hearing something different, I ain't going to succeed.
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So that's an example of where I would be saying to my audience or to presenters, make sure your message is clear.
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Then I would drop in that little story about the Christmas Eve mass and then reinforce it again by saying, All right, is there a danger that what you're saying is not what is being picked up by the audience?
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Oh, okay.
00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:19.279
So so can you quickly just walk through the acronym LAF?
00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:22.880
Yeah, uh, it is um the LAF framework.
00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:28.400
Uh it is uh I'll give you the uh I'll show you the way I introduce uh some of it, okay?
00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:29.200
So it's listen.
00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.640
The first one is listen, okay?
00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:37.119
A is about uh research has shown that uh stories are more memorable than most things when you're doing presentations.
00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:39.599
So A is for antidote.
00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:45.759
And if you can bring antidotes, sorry, it's not antidote, it's anecdote.
00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:47.920
Oh, okay, all right, okay.
00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:54.400
So, but let me be clear here the antidote to a weak speech, Sean, is a good anecdote.
00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:58.319
Okay, so no, I'm reinforcing the anecdote reference there.
00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.759
The funniest anecdote.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:05.519
And if you think about this, I think you would agree, and research has been done on it as well.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:10.720
The funniest anecdotes are the ones where something was uncomfortable, which is the U in laugh.
00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:15.359
Where something went wrong, but it wasn't life-threatening, and now you can talk to your friends about it.
00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.680
Perfect stories are not funny.
00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:24.960
So we've got listen, anecdote, U is uncomfortable, G is Google, as I say, Google and the Bing.
00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:25.440
Okay.
00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:38.400
So if you're looking for something, if you're looking for a quick uh humorous quote about leadership, about marketing, about teamwork, etc., Google and the Bing, or the AI if you want to, and for a quote about X, Y, or Z.
00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:39.519
You'll find something.
00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:44.960
And H then, Sean, is some good listen, anecdote, uncomfortable, Google and the Bing.
00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:48.240
H is for hee he to ho ho.
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:59.920
And by that I mean if you're presenting something and you get a smile from the audience, say it to yourself afterwards, hey, could I take that from a hee hee to a ho?
00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:06.880
That is the only one that I think is a bit challenging for people who are new to humor.
00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:16.079
But listening for humor, telling stories about something where something where something went wrong, which you would do around the water cooler, I don't know if the Pub or Starbucks, use that.
00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:19.599
Google on the Bing Dead Easy and Hee Hee to Ho Ho.
00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:24.160
The laugh presented by Connor Caneen, Irishman speaks.
00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:25.119
There you go.
00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:26.240
There you go.
00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:30.000
Copyrighted, patented, trademarked, everything.
00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.119
Protected.
00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:33.039
You can't get your hands on it.
00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:34.880
But no, that I love it.
00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:49.440
Um you feel like that if somebody really wants to like add this perspective to bring the to bring this to the table to their with their connections, just even if they don't want to be keynotes, right?
00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:53.440
But they but they want to like change the way that people engage with them.
00:23:53.599 --> 00:24:01.279
Is this something you feel like that pretty much anybody with with commitment can can really improve their skills here?
00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:04.079
Even if it's even if they're an introvert?
00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:06.400
Uh yes, yes, yes.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:13.759
I mean, if my understanding is a huge number of uh uh stand-up comics are introverts.
00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:19.200
Uh but once they go out in front of an audience, they do their piece and come back in again and they are introvert.
00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:21.920
Um but yes, anyone can do it, Charlotte.
00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:51.039
But and I like the way you use the word commitment because uh when I'm doing when I'm doing my workshops or pitching the concept to to clients for uh financial advisors, uh for instance, to saying that you should be able to uh adopt this to your uh evening presentations or seminars, is the first thing to do is understand, and I give some uh detail on the neuroscience of humor, that humor does have a positive impact.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:56.240
The second thing I make very clear is I'm not talking about making them laugh.
00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:03.519
In fact, I say, look, forget about making them laugh, but you surely can put smiles on their faces a few times.
00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:12.559
And while a smile doesn't generate the same level of endorphins and dopamine as a laugh does, it does help you to connect better with the client.
00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:18.400
So if we buy into those, all right, I understand the power of the neuroscience behind it.
00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:21.599
Uh, I understand I don't have to make them laugh.
00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:28.400
Now the next one is all right, so why the heck am I not using it if this is going to help me to close sales?
00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:38.480
So now we've got them on the right track, and then I start saying, All right, gang, the basic thing now you can start doing is let's work on the laugh framework.
00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:47.759
And what I do, Sean, is that anytime something uh funny pops up, um, I try to put it into my Apple notes.
00:25:48.000 --> 00:26:03.119
So I've got a gazillion uh humorous little uh comments, quips, etc., from uh when I was presenting or when I heard something or read something, I pop into my uh notes.
00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:18.400
I don't know a lot of the time when I'm going to use it, but what I do have now is I've got a reservoir of uh little humorous uh bits and pieces that sometime somewhere can be used to reinforce uh my messaging.
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:25.200
Um so that basically is my response to people when they say, Oh, I couldn't do this.
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:35.039
If you believe that humor will help you to connect better with your customer, it's a process that will help you to connect better with your customer.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:36.480
Excellent, excellent.
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:44.480
Yeah, that's very encouraging, and I feel like it would be really uh an intriguing challenge, maybe for people who don't think that that's how they're wired necessarily.
00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:48.559
You're you're sending an encouraging message here of you actually can do it.
00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:57.279
You have to have some understanding of it, what you're what you're trying to do, but you don't have to be like the the the class clown from high school in order to make this work.
00:26:57.599 --> 00:26:58.559
Oh, absolutely.
00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:10.079
And and this is the other thing that frightens a lot of professions, especially in the uh financial services area, which uh where I'm doing some uh uh work, is that they kind of say, well, I gotta become come across as being professional.
00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:12.000
And I say, I fully understand that.
00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:15.839
That is the core uh perception you gotta gotta use.
00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:21.839
But when you're being professional, you're putting up slides there that most people have no idea what they're about, okay?
00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:24.319
And so you're yeah, you're really connecting with them.
00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:35.920
But if you were to make fun of one of the slides um based on maybe a comment that was made by someone at the last seminar that you did, uh you're now just connecting better with them.
00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:50.400
And what I do believe, Sean, is that if you're in sales or you're an entrepreneur and you're dealing with people on a daily basis, almost certainly you put a smile in someone's face yesterday or they put a smile in your face.
00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:51.920
Just capture that.
00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:54.480
Worry about where I'm going to use it later on.
00:27:54.640 --> 00:28:03.039
But if it made someone laugh yesterday, a customer or a client of yours, it's quite likely it's going to make someone laugh tomorrow or the day after as well.
00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:04.000
Excellent.
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:08.880
Is that is this like the content of a lot of your workshops, or is that something totally different?
00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:10.559
Uh no, it's the content of a lot of.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:22.319
I mean, I do workshops on adding humor to your presentation, or if I'm talking about just to salespeople or financial advisors, they how humor builds connection, trust, and and likability uh with clients.
00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:37.119
So for instance, um if we take a presentation I did a couple of uh weeks ago, before uh Christmas, I was doing it to a group in the Geneva area, Lake Geneva area here in um uh Wisconsin.
00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:48.240
And uh I I have a concept where I talk about uh that uh if you I talk about having five micro goals.
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:56.160
So so so this is a serious presentation on uh building teamwork and collaboration in the organization or in the association, it actually was.
00:28:56.319 --> 00:29:00.880
And I said there's five micro goals that spell the acronym CHAPS, C-H-A-P.
00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:01.279
Okay.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:06.480
The micro goals, Sean, are uh micro goal one, compliment one person today.
00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:13.599
Now, if you compliment that one person, you're gonna feel better because you achieved your micro goal, the person you've complimented is gonna feel better.
00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:19.839
The second micro goal is hear the words thank you from someone today, which means you've got to do something to help a colleague.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:20.240
Okay?
00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:28.480
The third micro goal is A for address, and that is address someone with their name when you're in conversation with them today, Sean.
00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:31.839
Especially important for uh uh entrepreneurs.
00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:35.599
So if you're an entrepreneur, you can compliment their potential client.
00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:40.720
If you do something to hear the worst thank you for them, you're gonna be on the road to success there.
00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:48.799
When you address them with their name just once or twice in conversation, and that is really important in building connection, it um it will help you.
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:51.839
So we've got compliment, hear the worst thank you, address people by name.
00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:57.680
So I was at this event up in Lake Geneva, and I said, All right, gang, what do you think the letter P stands for?
00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:01.759
Silence, and then someone shouts out, pterodactyl.
00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:05.119
That wasn't the answer, was it?
00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:06.400
It wasn't the answer.
00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:07.200
But you know what?
00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:09.680
I said to her, I said, I'll be using that.
00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:17.440
And every time now I talk about the chap's acronym, I pause after the first three, I ask the question, what do you think P stands for?
00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:22.880
After I get that, I say, you know, I get some really funny responses on this when I was doing it before Christmas.
00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:24.559
I got pterodactyl.
00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:25.440
What happens?
00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:30.559
The room laughs, we're building the oxytocin, generating the oxytocin in the room again.
00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:33.519
Now, here's the thing for the entrepreneurs.
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:35.599
Did I create that humor?
00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:36.480
No.
00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:37.839
Did I capture it?
00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:39.279
Yes.
00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:49.680
And if you're in a business where you're constantly interacting with people, you have got a humor gold mine in front of you.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:53.039
And if you start capturing it, it'll happen for you.
00:30:53.119 --> 00:31:08.240
If I call about a gold mine, maybe just you're filtering for gold as such, like so when all those uh pioneers were filtering for gold in the water done, the uh in Denver and Colorado and places like that, most days they weren't getting anything, but some days they were getting nuggets.
00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:33.039
And it seems like also that would be a great kind of way to live your life, though, just looking for like humorous moments to to put into your arsenal, but but also just that lens of seeing the world and always having this kind of humor sensor going on would probably be uh give give you a lot of smiles throughout throughout your day, just because uh that's your whole worldview.
00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:34.400
Uh uh absolutely.
00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:45.440
And I I mean I one area that I uh uh can uh generate a smile and it makes me feel better is uh I do a fair amount of flying, obviously.
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:55.519
Uh anytime I'm getting on a plane, uh, and last week now I was going to down to uh down to Kennedy, uh I'm just getting on the plane, you've got a flight attendant there who are getting on.
00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:56.400
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:01.920
So I said to the flight attendant, uh I'm in uh road 26 uh C.
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:06.720
Uh I'd like my eggs over easy and crispy bacon on the side.
00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:07.279
Okay?
00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:13.519
And you normally get really good responses and say, I'm sorry, sir, what are the eggs today, or something like that?
00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:16.799
Or someone might say, You've never flown with us before, have you?
00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:23.519
But what it does do though is it put us puts a smile on their face, and that's my goal as I'm coming down the gangplank to put a smile on their face.
00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:24.960
What does it do for me, Sean?
00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:38.960
It makes me feel as if I've achieved something very simple, and I'm walking down the first few rows with a smile on my face, and humor is a positive, not just for the person that you generate it to, but for yourself as well.
00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:43.440
It does make a difference to your physical well-being and brain well-being.
00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:48.400
So it's a it is a it's a gift that you give to others that you also give to yourself.
00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:49.279
Absolutely.
00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:50.400
Yeah, absolutely.
00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:51.599
Yeah, love that.
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:55.440
So, all right, so we've we've we've got the compliment.
00:32:55.680 --> 00:32:59.039
Um, one one person at least here, thank you.
00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:06.319
Address somebody by name, uh at least two times, and we know what's next is not pterodactyl.
00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:07.599
So, what is P?
00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:09.119
P is for positive.
00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:17.680
I will have my goal that I will use a positive word in conversation today, or a positive phrase in conversation today.
00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:33.599
And uh the power of that, especially when I'm dealing with teams, and I'm talking about improving their people, performance, and productivity, uh leaders generally, Sean, cannot improve their employees' net worth.
00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:38.880
They don't have the ability to be able to give them huge salary increases and need on musk, etc.
00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:48.079
But leaders, though, and everyone in an organization has the ability to improve their employees' self-worth and how they feel about themselves.
00:33:48.240 --> 00:34:04.559
And if you take the chaps' concept and you regularly compliment your team, you do something to hear the words thank you from them, you address them with their name so you're kind of recognizing them more better and more formally uh than uh just kind of hey you kind of thing.
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:17.039
Use a positive phrase or positive words when you're interacting with them or at the meeting, and if somewhere you can put a smile on someone's face and you can do that, uh compliment is probably the way you'll get the smile anyway.
00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:24.880
Those five chaps micro goals will help you to create a better work environment.
00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:31.119
And what will happen is that after a while, people are going to start saying positive things about you as a leader.
00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:31.679
Why?
00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:36.559
Well, he complimented me today, no one has complimented me in months in this organization.
00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:39.440
Um, I feel as if I've been heard kind of thing.
00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:45.599
Um, and actually, that uh was a uh a reaction that comes when you just mention the person by name.
00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:53.920
Uh so the CHAPS acronym is a really powerful way to help you to build uh teamwork.
00:34:54.079 --> 00:35:00.079
It's a really powerful tool to use when you're developing a relationship with a client or a prospect.
00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:02.960
You don't use all of them in the one session, possibly.
00:35:03.119 --> 00:35:11.119
But and also someone has uh quite a few people have said to me, Connor, it's really good at home as well.
00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:13.440
And in the marriage feel.
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:21.360
So uh I charge more for the uh marriage guidance counseling show where I tell people, no, gentlemen, when you go home and ladies, remember chops.
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:30.320
Well, so it sounds like a lot of what you do is, and you mentioned this early on, is about putting a smile on people's face, right?
00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:32.400
Because as you said, it's sort of like that.
00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:35.440
It makes me think about the scale that you were referencing earlier.
00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:37.440
Hee hee to ho ho, right?
00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:46.719
Well, just a smile also provides people with this biochemical response of feeling happier, right?
00:35:47.360 --> 00:36:04.559
And so going through your day, applying the the chap's approach, really, I would think would be also personally gratifying, especially if maybe you work with somebody who seems like they're not a happy person, right?
00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:09.199
There's always, not always, but a lot of times there's a person who always has a cloud over their head.
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:16.320
And so by doing this, I think it would be great because one, it does represent a challenge for you, right?
00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:35.039
Like, I am going to make her smile, or I'm going to make her laugh, and you make them smile and you make them happy, then one, you're taking down barriers, but but you really are actually giving them a really big gift, too, right?
00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:36.000
Absolutely.
00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:40.719
And this is why I I treat them as as micro goals, uh, Sean.
00:36:41.119 --> 00:36:48.320
Um the uh the idea is that if I can do something to make me feel better, I'm likely to repeat it again and again.
00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:56.400
So uh quite likely I might have complimented someone uh yesterday, or quite unlikely I might not have complimented someone yesterday.
00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:57.679
Is that a double negative?
00:36:57.760 --> 00:36:58.960
But you know what I mean, okay?
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:04.320
Um so uh but uh it kind of um didn't have a big impact.
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:10.079
But if I say to myself, all right, I believe that this chap's acronym would help me to create a better work environment.
00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:12.079
So I'm gonna take these micro goals.
00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:22.639
And when I hear myself compliment someone today, I'm gonna say to myself, hey, I achieved that micro goal, I feel slightly better, the dopamine kicks in, and as a result, I feel better.
00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:34.000
But with each of these micro goals, I feel better if I achieve them, but there's a win-win on the other side of the table uh as well, and that is where the real positivity comes in.
00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:37.119
I feel better, the other person feels better as well.
00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:38.719
And this all goes back, Sean.
00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:46.239
We're talking about our entrepreneurs, and we were joking earlier about the uh vision for San Quentin uh jail.
00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:53.679
The uh when I'm dealing with organizations, a lot of the time I talk about all right, uh, we're where do we want to be in a few years' time?
00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:57.440
And we talk about uh vision, but vision can be very kind of waffly, as I say.
00:37:57.599 --> 00:38:10.480
So the question I put to small to medium-sized uh organizations and entrepreneurs is ask yourself the question, what do we want to be famous for?
00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:13.039
What do we want to be famous for?
00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:20.719
What is it that we want people to say about me or us when I'm not in the room?
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:31.280
And if you can what when I'm dealing with uh organizational sales uh advisors, etc., um the way I basically phrase this, all right, what do I want to be famous for?
00:38:31.440 --> 00:38:38.320
Um that is within my industry, with my customers and my clients, what is it I want them to say about me?
00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:48.239
And I'm sure it's gonna be things like uh professional, positive, uh uh creates a good environment, uh, et cetera, is a good team builder or whatever it is.
00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:53.360
And what I say is, all right, gang, um we'll give you a few minutes to think about that.
00:38:53.599 --> 00:39:01.840
I'm not gonna ask you what it is you want to be famous for, uh unless it's in a smaller well work environment where we can actually probe a bit deeper.
00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:04.159
But you've written down what you want to be famous for.
00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:15.440
I'm now gonna give you five micro goals that spell the word chaps, then if you implement them, I'm pretty sure it will help you to become famous for what you have written down.
00:39:15.599 --> 00:39:19.440
And I don't even know what it is that you have written down.
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:21.679
So we're talking about macro goal.
00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:23.599
What do I want to be famous for?
00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:28.880
Five chaps micro goals that will help you to achieve the macro goal.
00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:36.239
Is this a conversation typically that you're having with like a leadership team when you're preparing for a keynote engagement?
00:39:36.639 --> 00:39:44.000
Uh well, what I do with the leadership team or with the people who are bringing me in, I will ask them uh questions, questions, questions.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:45.920
What are the challenges that you have got?
00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:48.079
What are the issues that you have got?
00:39:48.320 --> 00:39:53.920
What would you like your team to be saying after the presentation?
00:39:54.320 --> 00:40:01.760
What impact do you hope my presentation will have in uh four, six, eight months' time kind of thing as well?
00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:06.320
So I try to get as much information as possible from the leadership.
00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:14.639
But what I also do, and I'm going to be doing it today because I've got a client in the auto repair industry uh that I'm doing a presentation and work for uh next month.
00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:17.920
I've spoken to their leadership team.
00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:24.880
I'm now going to go out and speak to some uh franchisees and see what their view is.
00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:28.800
Uh, because and you know this uh I'm sure as well as everyone else.
00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:35.599
Uh, what uh HQ says and what the fields say, not always in alignment, Sean.
00:40:36.400 --> 00:40:38.000
You never knew that, did you?
00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:39.599
Yeah, right, exactly.
00:40:39.840 --> 00:40:41.840
Surprise, shocking, shocking.
00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:42.639
Yeah.
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:59.599
Well, you have to thread this needle of doing something that is engaging through humor and and connects with people at this level of the feeling, but obviously leadership is making this investment in you to move the needle for them for the business, right?
00:40:59.840 --> 00:41:00.159
Yeah.
00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:02.880
Not not just to make people laugh.
00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:06.639
And I think that that's a really, really special craft.
00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:23.920
What what would um what would you suggest to somebody who has accumulated a lot of um expertise in in their career and they've thought about, which I think a lot of people have, going out and doing and doing speaking.
00:41:24.159 --> 00:41:32.320
What would you recommend based on all your lessons learned, maybe the first two or three steps that they should take down that path?
00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:41.840
Um I think a couple of uh things I'm gonna brain freeze uh now, but uh uh in terms of the organization.
00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:49.199
But uh see if you can speak to some local community groups about your your messaging.
00:41:49.440 --> 00:42:02.400
Um uh so I mean there's a lot of maybe it's the Chamber of Commerce or there's uh some other groups that might meet on a weekly basis where you could do a 10-15 minute pitch about your your message.
00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:08.239
Um which is now the question is are you doing a pitch about your message or are you doing a pitch about your business?
00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:09.679
There's two different things, I think.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:25.679
Um so if you're speaking to uh organizations or local community groups, give them something that they can take away and maybe they'll start thinking, hey, if I want to implement that, uh Brian or Mary Lou is the person that I will bring in to do that.
00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:28.800
So that would be the the first uh suggestion I would make.
00:42:28.960 --> 00:42:37.599
Uh do some presentations at local uh community areas, uh organizations, chambers of commerce, that that kind of thing, uh Lions groups, uh, etc.
00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:39.840
We're always looking for speakers.
00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:47.039
Uh if you want to improve your your craft, I would suggest uh joining Toastmasters.
00:42:47.199 --> 00:42:58.559
I mean, I was a pretty good I could sometimes say I was a good talker before I started doing professional speaking, which is different to being a good speaker.
00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:02.639
Uh and I think that's a mistake that some people make.
00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:08.239
So I continuously try to refine my craft as a speaker.
00:43:08.559 --> 00:43:30.960
And I I think one of the other things that I do suggest to people, and this is really important, I think, for entrepreneurs as well, whether it's the speaking business where I pay attention to evaluations, or you're an entrepreneur, you're uh got a plumbing uh company, or you got a financial services company, or some of that, ask for and pay attention to evaluations and to testimony.
00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:42.079
Uh no, um, some of them might break your heart, but that's what people are saying about you, or the the content that you got.
00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:52.719
And when I speak to uh associations, uh a lot of the associations will ask people to fill in their content uh afterwards, uh filling forms afterwards again, continuing yet.
00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:55.440
Uh they get comments about the speakers, uh, etc.
00:43:55.840 --> 00:43:59.840
Now I rarely know get any negative feedback on that because.
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:01.119
Yesing you on that.
00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:14.639
But uh earlier on though, I was getting comments like I wish he had covered X, Y, or Z, or he spent too much time on uh XYZ, and then the next person will say he didn't spend enough time on XYZ, etc.
00:44:15.039 --> 00:44:27.519
But definitely I paid attention uh to them and try to figure out okay, what is it that I could uh do to enhance the program and the way I'm communicating it.
00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:44.960
And if you're an entrepreneur, it is really important to know what people are saying about you because I I use the phrase Sean your behavior creates your brand, your behavior determines what people say about you, what people say about you is your brand.
00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:46.320
Right.
00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:47.840
So that's on point.
00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:48.800
That is on point.
00:44:49.119 --> 00:44:49.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:57.280
Um it's like uh I mean, I I if you look at what uh so is happening Southwest now at the moment, the airline.
00:44:57.440 --> 00:45:01.199
I mean, I I posted something out to friends uh last night or we posted something.
00:45:01.360 --> 00:45:07.920
The number of people that are bitching and moaning about Southwest now because of their new seating assignments is astonishing.
00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:14.239
They thought they were gonna come up with some better way to get people on board by charging more for the bags or charging for the bags.
00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:14.719
Right.
00:45:14.880 --> 00:45:16.559
How did they think that was gonna work?
00:45:16.800 --> 00:45:29.119
But my god, whatever seat I mean, I flew in two weeks ago and I didn't have a problem, but uh whatever seating arrangements they have got now, their Twitter X is blowing up with negative comments about Southwest.
00:45:29.360 --> 00:45:38.159
So what Southwest is saying and what the customers are saying are two different things, and the brand ultimately is what's in the customer's mind.
00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:40.000
Interesting, yeah.
00:45:40.239 --> 00:45:50.480
Seemed like a bold move because Southwest built its brand on being different and then ultimately pivoted to uh yeah, we're gonna be the same.
00:45:50.719 --> 00:45:53.280
And but anyway, great stuff.
00:45:53.519 --> 00:46:00.079
So speaking locally, building your credibility, getting word out on your expertise.
00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:07.679
Um, and then Toastmasters, great place to start, but as you've already said, you're still engaged with Toastmasters.
00:46:07.760 --> 00:46:11.119
So it's a place to begin to grow, but also keep growing.
00:46:11.280 --> 00:46:18.079
And then solicit feedback to help you get better, but also to understand what people think about you.
00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:25.280
Solicit candid feedback so you understand what they're saying when you're not in the room, because that is your brand.
00:46:25.519 --> 00:46:27.199
Those are really great.
00:46:27.360 --> 00:46:37.199
I love them because they're all clear and they're very actionable things that that people can do if they're interested in in following you uh on this on this path.
00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:43.760
Well, Connor, this has been such a great, enjoyable, and enlightening conversation for me.
00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:49.280
Uh thank you very much for our for everything that you brought to this conversation.
00:46:49.519 --> 00:46:52.480
And I wanted to ask you a couple questions, wrapping up.
00:46:52.559 --> 00:46:52.880
Yeah.
00:46:53.119 --> 00:47:04.639
The first one is do you have any activities that you enjoyed when you were growing up that ultimately shaped who you are today?
00:47:04.800 --> 00:47:10.480
Or maybe there it's an activity that you did that is still something that you enjoy today?
00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:11.920
I right.
00:47:12.400 --> 00:47:19.280
Yeah, I mean, as uh when I was uh growing up, uh I used to play uh soccer.
00:47:19.360 --> 00:47:25.119
Uh I was actually uh watched by uh a Manchester United Scouts at one stage.
00:47:25.360 --> 00:47:34.880
Um now I do clarify that, Sean, by saying that they were actually watching some other player on the team, not me, but I mean I can say I was watched by Ben United Scouts.
00:47:37.440 --> 00:47:39.519
Words can be very interesting.
00:47:39.760 --> 00:47:56.159
Uh but I used to play as a goalkeeper, and uh but I I ultimately, I mean, I was reasonably okay at school's level, but I'm not that tall, so uh when I got to college, etc., it became a bit of a uh an issue, and I was never able to make the the higher grades, etc.
00:47:56.400 --> 00:48:04.239
But I think what I realized uh there was that uh I uh um you win a lot, uh you'll you lose a lot.
00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:07.440
Um sometimes you don't have the the gifts that other people have got.
00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:11.920
So if I'd been six foot three or four, I might have uh played more college soccer, etc.
00:48:12.239 --> 00:48:15.440
But ultimately, though, I'm still a mad Manchester United fan.
00:48:15.599 --> 00:48:21.920
Uh I bleed Man United Red, and uh I it's just one of the things that I really enjoy.
00:48:22.079 --> 00:48:26.880
And um if I can just give you one other quick example about where you capture humour.
00:48:27.679 --> 00:48:36.400
I was at uh so I'm talking to an audience now, Sean, about um paying attention to your customer, uh paying attention to the feedback from them, etc.
00:48:36.639 --> 00:48:42.159
And if you can build a connection with your customer, uh you're going to get results out of it.
00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:43.440
Here's an example.
00:48:43.599 --> 00:48:50.000
Uh a couple of months ago, I'd last year, went to my uh cardiologist for annual checkup.
00:48:50.159 --> 00:48:52.960
The following day, he sends me his medical notes.
00:48:53.039 --> 00:48:53.840
He says, uh, Mr.
00:48:53.920 --> 00:48:57.119
Kane is a Caucasian male with a history of XYZ.
00:48:57.360 --> 00:48:59.119
Second paragraph starts.
00:48:59.360 --> 00:49:01.920
He is a Manchester United supporter.
00:49:02.239 --> 00:49:02.559
Okay?
00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:05.360
This is in medical documents.
00:49:05.760 --> 00:49:06.800
And what did I do?
00:49:06.960 --> 00:49:07.679
I laughed.
00:49:07.760 --> 00:49:09.519
And what did I do when I heard myself laugh?
00:49:09.679 --> 00:49:11.920
I captured it and I recorded it.
00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:15.760
I use that anecdote regularly when I'm talking to people.
00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:20.880
Pay attention to your customer, play it back, they'll think you're wonderful.
00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:27.039
I don't know whether the guy is good or not, but I told that story to everyone, and I'm referencing and I'm saying, go to this guy.
00:49:27.280 --> 00:49:34.960
Now, thankfully, I've never had to really find out whether he is good or not, but boy, that little simple one line made a real difference.
00:49:36.159 --> 00:49:37.199
Oh, that's awesome.
00:49:37.360 --> 00:49:38.320
That's awesome.
00:49:38.559 --> 00:49:51.519
So, um, Connor, how can our listeners stay connected with you, follow you, or maybe work with you as a keynote, or perhaps uh through one of your your workshops?
00:49:51.840 --> 00:49:55.119
Well, uh, Sean, first of all, thanks for the opportunity to speak with you.
00:49:55.199 --> 00:49:56.559
I really enjoyed it.
00:49:56.880 --> 00:50:01.280
And what I suggested well, the brand is Irishman Speaks, all one word.
00:50:01.440 --> 00:50:03.760
That's the website, Irishman Speaks, one word.
00:50:04.079 --> 00:50:12.000
I'm on uh LinkedIn, uh it's uh Connor Caneen, and uh Connor is spelt with only one N.
00:50:12.559 --> 00:50:17.360
As I told you previously, I think my parents couldn't afford the two N's back in Ireland, all right.
00:50:17.679 --> 00:50:23.599
And uh that's another example of a piece of evergreen humor I can use again and again and again.
00:50:23.760 --> 00:50:28.480
And you are salespeople or entrepreneurs, once you get a little nugget, you can use it again.
00:50:28.639 --> 00:50:35.920
So uh LinkedIn, uh I'm on uh Twitter, YouTube as well, with uh a lot of videos up there.
00:50:36.239 --> 00:50:42.159
And uh the email is CC Connor Kaneen at Irishmanspeaks.com.
00:50:42.559 --> 00:50:54.880
And my promise is that my audience will leave with a smile on the face, with a spring in the step, and memorable, actionable takeaways to keep on keeping on during what are challenging times, Sean.
00:50:55.599 --> 00:50:56.639
Excellent, excellent.
00:50:56.800 --> 00:50:57.760
Well, thank you, Connor.
00:50:57.840 --> 00:51:06.079
Well well, one final question just popped in my head is do you feel like your Irish brogue is a competitive advantage in this marketplace?
00:51:06.639 --> 00:51:09.119
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.
00:51:09.360 --> 00:51:30.000
And uh I think what happens, uh Sean, is that um people when I'm doing uh maybe a little bit of cold calling, uh quite often it just pays pays it pays dividends because um Mary Lou, who's on the other end of the phone, should say, Oh, my great-great-grandmother's granduncle's aunt came from uh Ireland and they owned a castle over there.
00:51:30.079 --> 00:51:32.639
In fact, they own two castles over there, kind of thing.
00:51:32.719 --> 00:51:35.199
So, yes, uh, it does pay a difference.
00:51:35.360 --> 00:51:43.440
Bottom line though is I've got to provide good content uh uh that people will be able to use to improve their people performance and productivity.
00:51:43.679 --> 00:51:44.079
Excellent.
00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:45.039
All right, Connor.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:46.320
Well, thank you very much.
00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:47.760
It's been a pleasure, Sean.
00:51:47.840 --> 00:51:48.239
Stay well.
00:51:48.400 --> 00:51:49.039
Cheers.
00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:19.440
Welcome to the Durable Entrepreneur Show, where we talk with the experts to know how to help early stage entrepreneurs get from day one to year six.
00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:25.839
More than half of all small businesses fail in their first five years, but you are not going to be one of them.
00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:30.719
Listen up and apply what you learned to help you survive and thrive well beyond year five.
00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:35.200
I'm your host, Sean O'Hara, and today you'll be hearing from Connor Keneen.
00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:49.920
Connor is a former marketing vice president for a global Fortune 500 corporation who started a new life and built a self-reliant and independent career as a keynote speaker, business humorist, and a consultant.
00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:57.280
And he has a lot of fun and valuable wisdom to share that will help early stage entrepreneurs succeed in growing their business.
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But if nothing else, I'm sure you'll enjoy just listening to his strong Irish brobe.
00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:13.120
During our conversation, he'll talk about how the lowest moment of his career became the rocket fuel he needed to create and build his own dream.
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He'll also talk about why adding humor to your business presentations isn't just about being funny and the neuroscience behind why it builds stronger client connections.
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He'll also discuss his laugh framework, a step-by-step approach any entrepreneur can use to become funnier with clients.
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Even if you don't think you have a funny bone in your body.
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And a lot more.
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All right, it's time to get down to business.
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Would you please now welcome Connor Caneen to the Durable Entrepreneur Show?
00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:55.599
Hey, Sean, great to be here, man.
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Delighted from a freezing Chicago.
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Thank you for being here with us, Connor.
00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:16.479
Um, I always like to start out by asking people if they could share a moment early on in their entrepreneurial journey that nearly broke them and what it taught you that may be valuable to any early stage entrepreneur.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.159
All right, good question.
00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:22.800
And it actually goes back to when I was back in uh corporate land, uh, Sean.
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I was head of uh marketing for a large consumer goods company, Helen's Main A's would have been the main brand in Ireland, and uh doing well, and so I thought, and actually the results were really good.
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But we had a change of CEO in the organization.
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A new guy uh came in.
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He was had a different mindset to what I had, uh different uh values, definitely, to what I had.
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And after a while, we just started a clash, clash, clash.
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Uh eventually he called me in one day and he says, Connor, uh, I do not want you here in uh this uh seat.
00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:04.560
Uh you go over and you look after the food service business.
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:12.639
No, that at that stage, food service was seen as being the the ugly stepsister, and where people were put out to grass.
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I was uh pretty young at the time, uh ambitious, and I'd I had a high-profile job.
00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:22.479
So within the community I was in, um it was a big slap in the face.
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I was mad, absolutely mad, especially based on the results that I had been achieving.
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Um I two things that happened.
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One is that um I debate what I was going to do, uh, but the first day I was uh transferred over to the food service uh business.
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The office was in an area where the CEO would walk by when he was coming into the office.
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I was in the office at seven o'clock that morning on the first day in a road where I said I just didn't deserve to be put into.
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Um and I remember looking at a CEO looking through the window, and there was a look of surprise on his face that uh Connor was actually in the office at this stage.
00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:06.719
Uh, I think he probably just expected me to walk.
00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:18.399
The other thing that happened, Sean, I really believe in the power of this, is that a couple of days after I was in that uh office, I came in after lunch on one occasion and I saw a potted plant on my desk.
00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:24.720
And the potted plant, there was a little message on it that said, Connor, life is not always fair.
00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:26.319
Hang in there.
00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:36.720
And it was that simple message from one of the work colleagues that I got on well with, but I wasn't necessarily say I was friends with that really motivated me to stay in that organization.
00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:53.040
Uh, what then happened was I built the food service into the best producing food service business by growth in the European sector, which resulted in me being transferred to the UK, looking after UK and Ireland, and then got me transferred to looking after marketing for the United States business.
00:04:53.360 --> 00:05:06.079
All because I was, as I perceived it, unfairly pushed aside because of a guy who had different uh values and business uh uh ideas uh to me.
00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:19.600
But it made me realize that I had an ability to bounce back from problems and challenges and falls, and that really, as you speak a lot about, is what entrepreneurs need to be able to do.
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Tomorrow will be better.
00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:24.160
Excellent.
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What what a great example of resilience.
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So, but was the whole thing initially just uh it was that you just had two different perspectives on how to get things done, or do you feel like it was just like more of a personal move, like nah, just get him out of here?
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Um part of it was uh personal, but the other thing I mean, I'm not saying anything out of court now.
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I said our values were different.
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The guy was fired, he was transferred over to another major European job later on.
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He was fired for fraud within the company.
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Oh no, I did not necessarily know, and that's absolutely true.
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I did not necessarily know that's what was going on at that stage, but it was just a different uh mindset that that we had, and also um I think uh you I'd grown up with other CEOs in the organization who were positive, uh affirmative, etc.
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:22.639
But that is basically what uh did uh happen in that situation.
00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:31.519
Well, you're better to be in that situation kind of uh cast aside than be uh guilty by association, right?
00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:32.399
Wow.
00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:53.360
But but yeah, great example of of resilience, of mindset, but also you had to deal with just the emotional aspect of everything feeling very personal, and then collect yourself and move forward based on on where you were now, and ultimately become very successful in that role.
00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:53.839
Right.
00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.680
Yeah, and that's absolutely true.
00:06:55.759 --> 00:07:18.000
And I think one of the things that um I really appreciated at that stage was that uh your sense of self-worth is really critical uh to you, and that the more you uh believe in yourself without being kind of uh over the the top, um uh the better your chances of being able to overcome uh challenges.
00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:23.360
And uh I genuinely do try and continue to to grow my knowledge.
00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:30.720
Uh I I think, for instance, when it comes to AI now, I'm pretty well on top of that, and I find that incredibly exciting.
00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:48.079
And I think that's one of the things that entrepreneurs need to be able to do as well, to be able to continue to uh develop and grow, and to be able to uh find ways to push through the hard times, and there are hard times, there's no doubt about that.
00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:50.480
So all part of it, right?
00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.959
But well, thanks for sharing that great story.
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I love that, love that.
00:07:54.160 --> 00:08:04.639
So um talk to me about the Irishman Speaks, what that is all about, and and your inspiration behind the Irishman Speaks.
00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:05.839
Right, okay.
00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:12.720
So it's uh as I said, uh Connor Caneen, Irishman Speaks, and then I say, I wonder where that brand came from, you know.
00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:21.040
So the the core uh objective and mission, Sean, is to improve people, performance, and productivity with a smile.
00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:24.000
Improve people, performance, and productivity with a smile.
00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:33.679
And I primarily work as a keynote speaker, uh workshop facilitator and uh trainer to go into organizations to improve their people's performance and the productivity.
00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:40.240
And uh that has come about through my experience uh over the years working in Ireland, UK, and USA.
00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:44.399
And again, this is an interesting one for uh entrepreneurs.
00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.559
It did not happen overnight.
00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:57.679
Uh when I came over here to the United States, uh we were Unilever was the organization that had taken us over at this stage, so uh was looking after the food service marketing for the United States.
00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:03.039
A few years after we came, I came over, uh, Unilever wanted me to go back to Europe.
00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:08.240
And basically, my daughter had just started in Wake Forest in North Carolina.
00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:17.600
I previously messed up her teenage years by dragging her over to the United States, and she did brilliantly, absolutely love her for the way she handled that the change.
00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:21.360
But I said I don't want to mess her education up again.
00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:29.039
Um, so what I did was I kind of set to Unilever, well, I basically told Unilever to get stuffed with their suggestion that I move to the Europe.
00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.039
They told me get stuffed, Sean.
00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:33.360
So we'd a mutual stuffing, all right?
00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:38.320
Okay, so that's how Connor Canine became an independent operator.
00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:44.320
That was the so it wasn't necessarily a plan at that stage because I was doing pretty well in the corporate side as well.
00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:46.080
Um okay.
00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:52.559
So then what happens is that I did some work uh on consulting on the food service area.
00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:58.559
Uh because I'd been uh let go, I got involved with people who were in job search and just decided.
00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:02.799
So the way some of them were really, really struggling uh with the job search.
00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:08.080
I wasn't because I think I just had found freedom, I the bird had flown kind of thing.
00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:13.759
Um so I offered to just help people in job search to with some ideas to motivate them.
00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:20.080
On one occasion, with when I was with the outplacement company, they asked me to do it again and again and again.
00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:38.000
So what I saw happening, developing, was that instead of just being a speaker or a consultant of the food service area, I saw that I had messaging uh that I was able to get across to people that motivated them and helped them to improve themselves and to overcome uh challenges.
00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:42.879
Combine that then, Sean, with the fact that I won the Chicago Humorous Speaker of the Year.
00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:45.039
I'll give you the title of that in a second.
00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:57.440
Uh, and all of them kind of morphed into me realizing that, hey, uh an avenue that I would be good at and I really enjoy is uh keynote speaking, facilitation, workshop training, uh, etc.
00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:09.440
And eventually, uh, after about me being on my own for two or three years, I morphed into Irish Man Speaks, improving people, performance, and productivity with a smile.
00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:12.080
So you had a really, really interesting niche.
00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:17.840
So, what was that like developing the content and then bringing that content out to the marketplace?
00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:24.879
Did initially was the response like, hey, this is a great idea, or or was it a little bit more swimming uphill at first?
00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:29.039
Well, I think the the reaction was great, but there was a lot of swimming uphill.
00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:40.159
And by that I mean that uh I realized that if I wanted to uh be successful on the consulting on the food service side, which is what I decided to do after I left the Unilever, I needed to get visibility.
00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:50.720
Uh, with my track record, I was able to get a few speaking engagements at conferences, uh, normally unpaid at that stage, and uh I was getting a really good reaction to it, uh Sean.
00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:56.399
People were saying, All right, you got good messages and you got a style that is probably a little bit uh different.
00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:09.919
And then uh I realized that hey, this is actually way more enjoyable than doing consulting projects where you're away for maybe eight days at a time, kind of thing, and uh you're not sure what the end result is going to be anyway.
00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:19.039
With keynote speaking, uh you get really get immediate feedback, uh, and you know whether or not you're good, bad, or indifferent.
00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:25.519
And over a period of two to three years, I realized this is really the road I want to go down.
00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:38.240
And I uh, as I say, the other thing that made a real difference, I did join Toastmasters, and I'm still actually involved in Toastmasters and a professional speakers group here in the Chicagoland area.
00:12:38.480 --> 00:13:01.200
I competed in a number of Toastmasters speech competitions, and if you want to hone a message, doing Toastmasters speech competitions is one brilliant way of doing it because you've got a message about uh, for instance, that potted plant uh little story I told where uh the Carmel was the lady who gave me the potted plant when I was pushed aside in Ireland.
00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:08.240
I can tell a five to seven minute story on that, which started off uh with just a few ums and ahs, etc.
00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:18.960
But as I moved through the district and through the competition, I came up with a story now that is a five to seven minutes long that is just polished to without being pompous to perfection.
00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:20.720
That's over the top, obviously.
00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:25.279
But what it did do is it really helped me to hone the messaging.
00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:42.159
The other thing is uh Toastmasters has got humorous speech competitions, so that allowed me to hone some of my humor messages, and the the one that won me the Chicago humorous speaker of the year, Sean was a speech on customer service.
00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:50.320
Uh that's not very funny, but customer service customer service in San Quentin jail is funny, and that's what the speech is about.
00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:51.200
Okay, okay.
00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:52.399
Oh, really?
00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:54.240
Yeah, that gets your attention.
00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:55.440
That definitely gets your attention.
00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:55.840
Indeed.
00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:56.559
And you know what?
00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:16.879
I still actually use some lines about that when I'm talking about companies having clear vision and uh clear uh mission because I say, all right, the danger with a lot of organizations, and you know this as well, uh, is that um some of the goals or some of the missions and the uh visions are so waffly um that they don't really mean anything.
00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:27.440
So for instance, a vision statement for San Quentin jail could go as follows Here in San Quentin, we are dedicated to your security.
00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.559
Your freedom is our number one concern.
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:31.120
Okay.
00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:34.960
Oh, that's great.
00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:42.639
So it went on from there, and I was talking about uh the uh reception desk at San Quentin, and uh I are you a frequent cell member, sir?
00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:45.440
I mean that kind of stuff, like I said, I was talking about.
00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:51.440
So that's true, that is great.
00:14:51.519 --> 00:15:05.840
Uh so a few things that I love about what you just shared with our listeners are that one, you had seen success as a speaker already, but but you continued to pursue the craft, right?
00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:14.320
With with the Toastmasters and and obviously gunning for that award that that you received.
00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:17.039
So a couple things obviously that come out of that.
00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:28.559
I'm I'm sure, as you said, you really were able to upgrade your skill, but also there's the credibility of the award, too.
00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:40.559
I would think that once you put that as down as a credential, people know Toastmasters, and it is pretty much the authority, I feel like, the in terms of the seal of approval.
00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:47.120
So once you had that, did that actually make it a little easier for you to have conversations with people?
00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:48.720
Like, did you wear that like a badge?
00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:50.879
Here's the paradox, Sean.
00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:54.639
No, it didn't, and I don't use it in my profile.
00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:59.279
What I find is that Toastmasters is a wonderful way to hone your skills.
00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:13.600
So, for instance, we meet uh two Sunday nights a week here in the Chicagoland area, if I'm not uh traveling, and I can do a 15-minute piece from one of my keynotes that I'm kind of working on, and then there's a round robin evaluation from other professional speakers.
00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:15.200
It is really, really good.
00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:23.039
However, the perception of Toastmasters amongst a lot of event planners is that it's for amateurs and juniors.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:40.960
So I actually do not reference Toastmasters uh at all in my marketing material, but what I do believe though is that Toastmasters is a major vehicle to help me to get where I am today and to continue to uh refine my my craft and my material.
00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:46.799
People should get involved in Toastmasters if they want to own their craft.
00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:52.960
What is the power of humor in business?
00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:54.159
Right.
00:16:54.559 --> 00:17:04.799
Uh the basic power in of humor in business, Sean, is that I say that the reason why you should add humor to your presentation is not to make your client or your audience laugh.
00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:14.079
The reason why you should add relevant humor to your presentation is to connect better with your client by making them laugh.
00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:30.880
And there is serious neuroscience uh studies that have been done that show that when you uh put a smile on your client's face, and by the way, when I'm talking about humour here now, most of the time, I want to make it clear I'm not talking about belly laughs, we're not talking about Kevin Hart or things like that.
00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:34.559
Uh that'd be great if you could do it, but then you'd be making Kevin Hart type of money.
00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:40.720
But what I'm talking about is putting a smile on the clients or the audience's face a few times during your presentation.
00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:48.160
When you do that, the feel-good neurochemicals in the brain, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, etc., start to pop.
00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.640
They help to make the client, the audience, feel better about themselves.
00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:58.960
They actually are bonding chemicals, especially if some uh oxytocin is released, which will happen in a large group.
00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:09.680
Um, and as a result of that, your message again, re neuroscience uh suggests uh this uh your message becomes more memorable.
00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:15.839
It it is um it is very on point with the quote.
00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:20.960
I don't know if it was my Angelo who said people will remember the way that you made them feel.
00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:21.599
Yeah.
00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:22.240
Right?
00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.279
And so so literally that's very powerful.
00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:33.119
People don't know you now, they're getting introduced to you, and then literally it's a feeling, right?
00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:46.640
That that endorphin the bath of serotonin dopamine and all that, and you're literally making people laugh and smile, and so there's a feeling, so they're almost like probably thankful to you at the end of your of your engagement, right?
00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:51.440
Because you actually you gave them something more than just information, inspiration.
00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:52.640
Absolutely, yeah, yeah.
00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:58.079
And uh, I mean, people say to me, uh Connor, all right, I get that concept, but I'm not funny.
00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:07.599
So uh I've got uh a concept called the the laugh framework, uh L-A-U-G-H, where people can actually use the concept to add humour to their presentation.
00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:15.440
And the the core element of that, Sean, the first one is uh listen, as an um, if you listen to humor or see humor around, I'll give you an example.
00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.240
Uh we're recording this now in uh early February.
00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:23.039
Uh last uh 24th of December, I was at Christmas Mass, okay?
00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:30.319
And uh the priest decides to do a little bit of crowd work after he just spoke about the nativity scene.
00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:36.640
He goes around to a few kids and he says, uh look at the nativity scene there.
00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.599
Who would you like to be in?
00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:38.799
The nativity scene.
00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:44.400
And uh some kid says, uh, uh, I'd like to be an angel because I could punish people.
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:46.319
And the church laughs.
00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:47.759
What the hell is he talking about?
00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:50.720
The priest says, Why would you like to punish people or be an angel?
00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:54.400
And he said, Well, I have a lot of friends who are annoying and I'd like to punish them.
00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:56.960
Okay, so the church is laughing again.
00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:01.039
You can feel the kind of vibe actually just getting more better in the room.
00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:07.759
He asked uh two other kids, and then he goes, uh little John here, don't know what his name was, but a little kid and he says, Who would you like to be?
00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:09.759
I'd like to be Jesus.
00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:11.519
Why would you like to be Jesus?
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:16.400
Well, Jesus got gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and I'd be rich.
00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.200
Okay.
00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:23.519
No, um, that is a piece of humor that I picked up and I've actually used on a few occasions.
00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:28.480
And the way I've used it, Sean, is that one is to show that you can get humor anywhere.
00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:35.519
Uh two is that you could feel the oxytocin just generating in the room, which is the bonding chemical.
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:45.200
But the third one, though, and this is more important, I think, for communicators, is that none of those kids understood the real meaning of Christmas.
00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:54.240
Um, and if you as a communicator think I'm saying something, but my audience is hearing something different, I ain't going to succeed.
00:20:54.559 --> 00:21:01.839
So that's an example of where I would be saying to my audience or to presenters, make sure your message is clear.
00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:14.240
Then I would drop in that little story about the Christmas Eve mass and then reinforce it again by saying, All right, is there a danger that what you're saying is not what is being picked up by the audience?
00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:15.920
Oh, okay.
00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:19.279
So so can you quickly just walk through the acronym LAF?
00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:22.880
Yeah, uh, it is um the LAF framework.
00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:28.400
Uh it is uh I'll give you the uh I'll show you the way I introduce uh some of it, okay?
00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:29.200
So it's listen.
00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.640
The first one is listen, okay?
00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:37.119
A is about uh research has shown that uh stories are more memorable than most things when you're doing presentations.
00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:39.599
So A is for antidote.
00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:45.759
And if you can bring antidotes, sorry, it's not antidote, it's anecdote.
00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:47.920
Oh, okay, all right, okay.
00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:54.400
So, but let me be clear here the antidote to a weak speech, Sean, is a good anecdote.
00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:58.319
Okay, so no, I'm reinforcing the anecdote reference there.
00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.759
The funniest anecdote.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:05.519
And if you think about this, I think you would agree, and research has been done on it as well.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:10.720
The funniest anecdotes are the ones where something was uncomfortable, which is the U in laugh.
00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:15.359
Where something went wrong, but it wasn't life-threatening, and now you can talk to your friends about it.
00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.680
Perfect stories are not funny.
00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:24.960
So we've got listen, anecdote, U is uncomfortable, G is Google, as I say, Google and the Bing.
00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:25.440
Okay.
00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:38.400
So if you're looking for something, if you're looking for a quick uh humorous quote about leadership, about marketing, about teamwork, etc., Google and the Bing, or the AI if you want to, and for a quote about X, Y, or Z.
00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:39.519
You'll find something.
00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:44.960
And H then, Sean, is some good listen, anecdote, uncomfortable, Google and the Bing.
00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:48.240
H is for hee he to ho ho.
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:59.920
And by that I mean if you're presenting something and you get a smile from the audience, say it to yourself afterwards, hey, could I take that from a hee hee to a ho?
00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:06.880
That is the only one that I think is a bit challenging for people who are new to humor.
00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:16.079
But listening for humor, telling stories about something where something where something went wrong, which you would do around the water cooler, I don't know if the Pub or Starbucks, use that.
00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:19.599
Google on the Bing Dead Easy and Hee Hee to Ho Ho.
00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:24.160
The laugh presented by Connor Caneen, Irishman speaks.
00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:25.119
There you go.
00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:26.240
There you go.
00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:30.000
Copyrighted, patented, trademarked, everything.
00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.119
Protected.
00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:33.039
You can't get your hands on it.
00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:34.880
But no, that I love it.
00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:49.440
Um you feel like that if somebody really wants to like add this perspective to bring the to bring this to the table to their with their connections, just even if they don't want to be keynotes, right?
00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:53.440
But they but they want to like change the way that people engage with them.
00:23:53.599 --> 00:24:01.279
Is this something you feel like that pretty much anybody with with commitment can can really improve their skills here?
00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:04.079
Even if it's even if they're an introvert?
00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:06.400
Uh yes, yes, yes.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:13.759
I mean, if my understanding is a huge number of uh uh stand-up comics are introverts.
00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:19.200
Uh but once they go out in front of an audience, they do their piece and come back in again and they are introvert.
00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:21.920
Um but yes, anyone can do it, Charlotte.
00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:51.039
But and I like the way you use the word commitment because uh when I'm doing when I'm doing my workshops or pitching the concept to to clients for uh financial advisors, uh for instance, to saying that you should be able to uh adopt this to your uh evening presentations or seminars, is the first thing to do is understand, and I give some uh detail on the neuroscience of humor, that humor does have a positive impact.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:56.240
The second thing I make very clear is I'm not talking about making them laugh.
00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:03.519
In fact, I say, look, forget about making them laugh, but you surely can put smiles on their faces a few times.
00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:12.559
And while a smile doesn't generate the same level of endorphins and dopamine as a laugh does, it does help you to connect better with the client.
00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:18.400
So if we buy into those, all right, I understand the power of the neuroscience behind it.
00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:21.599
Uh, I understand I don't have to make them laugh.
00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:28.400
Now the next one is all right, so why the heck am I not using it if this is going to help me to close sales?
00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:38.480
So now we've got them on the right track, and then I start saying, All right, gang, the basic thing now you can start doing is let's work on the laugh framework.
00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:47.759
And what I do, Sean, is that anytime something uh funny pops up, um, I try to put it into my Apple notes.
00:25:48.000 --> 00:26:03.119
So I've got a gazillion uh humorous little uh comments, quips, etc., from uh when I was presenting or when I heard something or read something, I pop into my uh notes.
00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:18.400
I don't know a lot of the time when I'm going to use it, but what I do have now is I've got a reservoir of uh little humorous uh bits and pieces that sometime somewhere can be used to reinforce uh my messaging.
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:25.200
Um so that basically is my response to people when they say, Oh, I couldn't do this.
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:35.039
If you believe that humor will help you to connect better with your customer, it's a process that will help you to connect better with your customer.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:36.480
Excellent, excellent.
00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:44.480
Yeah, that's very encouraging, and I feel like it would be really uh an intriguing challenge, maybe for people who don't think that that's how they're wired necessarily.
00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:48.559
You're you're sending an encouraging message here of you actually can do it.
00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:57.279
You have to have some understanding of it, what you're what you're trying to do, but you don't have to be like the the the class clown from high school in order to make this work.
00:26:57.599 --> 00:26:58.559
Oh, absolutely.
00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:10.079
And and this is the other thing that frightens a lot of professions, especially in the uh financial services area, which uh where I'm doing some uh uh work, is that they kind of say, well, I gotta become come across as being professional.
00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:12.000
And I say, I fully understand that.
00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:15.839
That is the core uh perception you gotta gotta use.
00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:21.839
But when you're being professional, you're putting up slides there that most people have no idea what they're about, okay?
00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:24.319
And so you're yeah, you're really connecting with them.
00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:35.920
But if you were to make fun of one of the slides um based on maybe a comment that was made by someone at the last seminar that you did, uh you're now just connecting better with them.
00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:50.400
And what I do believe, Sean, is that if you're in sales or you're an entrepreneur and you're dealing with people on a daily basis, almost certainly you put a smile in someone's face yesterday or they put a smile in your face.
00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:51.920
Just capture that.
00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:54.480
Worry about where I'm going to use it later on.
00:27:54.640 --> 00:28:03.039
But if it made someone laugh yesterday, a customer or a client of yours, it's quite likely it's going to make someone laugh tomorrow or the day after as well.
00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:04.000
Excellent.
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:08.880
Is that is this like the content of a lot of your workshops, or is that something totally different?
00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:10.559
Uh no, it's the content of a lot of.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:22.319
I mean, I do workshops on adding humor to your presentation, or if I'm talking about just to salespeople or financial advisors, they how humor builds connection, trust, and and likability uh with clients.
00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:37.119
So for instance, um if we take a presentation I did a couple of uh weeks ago, before uh Christmas, I was doing it to a group in the Geneva area, Lake Geneva area here in um uh Wisconsin.
00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:48.240
And uh I I have a concept where I talk about uh that uh if you I talk about having five micro goals.
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:56.160
So so so this is a serious presentation on uh building teamwork and collaboration in the organization or in the association, it actually was.
00:28:56.319 --> 00:29:00.880
And I said there's five micro goals that spell the acronym CHAPS, C-H-A-P.
00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:01.279
Okay.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:06.480
The micro goals, Sean, are uh micro goal one, compliment one person today.
00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:13.599
Now, if you compliment that one person, you're gonna feel better because you achieved your micro goal, the person you've complimented is gonna feel better.
00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:19.839
The second micro goal is hear the words thank you from someone today, which means you've got to do something to help a colleague.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:20.240
Okay?
00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:28.480
The third micro goal is A for address, and that is address someone with their name when you're in conversation with them today, Sean.
00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:31.839
Especially important for uh uh entrepreneurs.
00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:35.599
So if you're an entrepreneur, you can compliment their potential client.
00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:40.720
If you do something to hear the worst thank you for them, you're gonna be on the road to success there.
00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:48.799
When you address them with their name just once or twice in conversation, and that is really important in building connection, it um it will help you.
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:51.839
So we've got compliment, hear the worst thank you, address people by name.
00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:57.680
So I was at this event up in Lake Geneva, and I said, All right, gang, what do you think the letter P stands for?
00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:01.759
Silence, and then someone shouts out, pterodactyl.
00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:05.119
That wasn't the answer, was it?
00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:06.400
It wasn't the answer.
00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:07.200
But you know what?
00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:09.680
I said to her, I said, I'll be using that.
00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:17.440
And every time now I talk about the chap's acronym, I pause after the first three, I ask the question, what do you think P stands for?
00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:22.880
After I get that, I say, you know, I get some really funny responses on this when I was doing it before Christmas.
00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:24.559
I got pterodactyl.
00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:25.440
What happens?
00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:30.559
The room laughs, we're building the oxytocin, generating the oxytocin in the room again.
00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:33.519
Now, here's the thing for the entrepreneurs.
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:35.599
Did I create that humor?
00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:36.480
No.
00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:37.839
Did I capture it?
00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:39.279
Yes.
00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:49.680
And if you're in a business where you're constantly interacting with people, you have got a humor gold mine in front of you.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:53.039
And if you start capturing it, it'll happen for you.
00:30:53.119 --> 00:31:08.240
If I call about a gold mine, maybe just you're filtering for gold as such, like so when all those uh pioneers were filtering for gold in the water done, the uh in Denver and Colorado and places like that, most days they weren't getting anything, but some days they were getting nuggets.
00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:33.039
And it seems like also that would be a great kind of way to live your life, though, just looking for like humorous moments to to put into your arsenal, but but also just that lens of seeing the world and always having this kind of humor sensor going on would probably be uh give give you a lot of smiles throughout throughout your day, just because uh that's your whole worldview.
00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:34.400
Uh uh absolutely.
00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:45.440
And I I mean I one area that I uh uh can uh generate a smile and it makes me feel better is uh I do a fair amount of flying, obviously.
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:55.519
Uh anytime I'm getting on a plane, uh, and last week now I was going to down to uh down to Kennedy, uh I'm just getting on the plane, you've got a flight attendant there who are getting on.
00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:56.400
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:01.920
So I said to the flight attendant, uh I'm in uh road 26 uh C.
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:06.720
Uh I'd like my eggs over easy and crispy bacon on the side.
00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:07.279
Okay?
00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:13.519
And you normally get really good responses and say, I'm sorry, sir, what are the eggs today, or something like that?
00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:16.799
Or someone might say, You've never flown with us before, have you?
00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:23.519
But what it does do though is it put us puts a smile on their face, and that's my goal as I'm coming down the gangplank to put a smile on their face.
00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:24.960
What does it do for me, Sean?
00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:38.960
It makes me feel as if I've achieved something very simple, and I'm walking down the first few rows with a smile on my face, and humor is a positive, not just for the person that you generate it to, but for yourself as well.
00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:43.440
It does make a difference to your physical well-being and brain well-being.
00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:48.400
So it's a it is a it's a gift that you give to others that you also give to yourself.
00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:49.279
Absolutely.
00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:50.400
Yeah, absolutely.
00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:51.599
Yeah, love that.
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:55.440
So, all right, so we've we've we've got the compliment.
00:32:55.680 --> 00:32:59.039
Um, one one person at least here, thank you.
00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:06.319
Address somebody by name, uh at least two times, and we know what's next is not pterodactyl.
00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:07.599
So, what is P?
00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:09.119
P is for positive.
00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:17.680
I will have my goal that I will use a positive word in conversation today, or a positive phrase in conversation today.
00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:33.599
And uh the power of that, especially when I'm dealing with teams, and I'm talking about improving their people, performance, and productivity, uh leaders generally, Sean, cannot improve their employees' net worth.
00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:38.880
They don't have the ability to be able to give them huge salary increases and need on musk, etc.
00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:48.079
But leaders, though, and everyone in an organization has the ability to improve their employees' self-worth and how they feel about themselves.
00:33:48.240 --> 00:34:04.559
And if you take the chaps' concept and you regularly compliment your team, you do something to hear the words thank you from them, you address them with their name so you're kind of recognizing them more better and more formally uh than uh just kind of hey you kind of thing.
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:17.039
Use a positive phrase or positive words when you're interacting with them or at the meeting, and if somewhere you can put a smile on someone's face and you can do that, uh compliment is probably the way you'll get the smile anyway.
00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:24.880
Those five chaps micro goals will help you to create a better work environment.
00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:31.119
And what will happen is that after a while, people are going to start saying positive things about you as a leader.
00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:31.679
Why?
00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:36.559
Well, he complimented me today, no one has complimented me in months in this organization.
00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:39.440
Um, I feel as if I've been heard kind of thing.
00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:45.599
Um, and actually, that uh was a uh a reaction that comes when you just mention the person by name.
00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:53.920
Uh so the CHAPS acronym is a really powerful way to help you to build uh teamwork.
00:34:54.079 --> 00:35:00.079
It's a really powerful tool to use when you're developing a relationship with a client or a prospect.
00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:02.960
You don't use all of them in the one session, possibly.
00:35:03.119 --> 00:35:11.119
But and also someone has uh quite a few people have said to me, Connor, it's really good at home as well.
00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:13.440
And in the marriage feel.
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:21.360
So uh I charge more for the uh marriage guidance counseling show where I tell people, no, gentlemen, when you go home and ladies, remember chops.
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:30.320
Well, so it sounds like a lot of what you do is, and you mentioned this early on, is about putting a smile on people's face, right?
00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:32.400
Because as you said, it's sort of like that.
00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:35.440
It makes me think about the scale that you were referencing earlier.
00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:37.440
Hee hee to ho ho, right?
00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:46.719
Well, just a smile also provides people with this biochemical response of feeling happier, right?
00:35:47.360 --> 00:36:04.559
And so going through your day, applying the the chap's approach, really, I would think would be also personally gratifying, especially if maybe you work with somebody who seems like they're not a happy person, right?
00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:09.199
There's always, not always, but a lot of times there's a person who always has a cloud over their head.
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:16.320
And so by doing this, I think it would be great because one, it does represent a challenge for you, right?
00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:35.039
Like, I am going to make her smile, or I'm going to make her laugh, and you make them smile and you make them happy, then one, you're taking down barriers, but but you really are actually giving them a really big gift, too, right?
00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:36.000
Absolutely.
00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:40.719
And this is why I I treat them as as micro goals, uh, Sean.
00:36:41.119 --> 00:36:48.320
Um the uh the idea is that if I can do something to make me feel better, I'm likely to repeat it again and again.
00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:56.400
So uh quite likely I might have complimented someone uh yesterday, or quite unlikely I might not have complimented someone yesterday.
00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:57.679
Is that a double negative?
00:36:57.760 --> 00:36:58.960
But you know what I mean, okay?
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:04.320
Um so uh but uh it kind of um didn't have a big impact.
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:10.079
But if I say to myself, all right, I believe that this chap's acronym would help me to create a better work environment.
00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:12.079
So I'm gonna take these micro goals.
00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:22.639
And when I hear myself compliment someone today, I'm gonna say to myself, hey, I achieved that micro goal, I feel slightly better, the dopamine kicks in, and as a result, I feel better.
00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:34.000
But with each of these micro goals, I feel better if I achieve them, but there's a win-win on the other side of the table uh as well, and that is where the real positivity comes in.
00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:37.119
I feel better, the other person feels better as well.
00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:38.719
And this all goes back, Sean.
00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:46.239
We're talking about our entrepreneurs, and we were joking earlier about the uh vision for San Quentin uh jail.
00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:53.679
The uh when I'm dealing with organizations, a lot of the time I talk about all right, uh, we're where do we want to be in a few years' time?
00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:57.440
And we talk about uh vision, but vision can be very kind of waffly, as I say.
00:37:57.599 --> 00:38:10.480
So the question I put to small to medium-sized uh organizations and entrepreneurs is ask yourself the question, what do we want to be famous for?
00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:13.039
What do we want to be famous for?
00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:20.719
What is it that we want people to say about me or us when I'm not in the room?
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:31.280
And if you can what when I'm dealing with uh organizational sales uh advisors, etc., um the way I basically phrase this, all right, what do I want to be famous for?
00:38:31.440 --> 00:38:38.320
Um that is within my industry, with my customers and my clients, what is it I want them to say about me?
00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:48.239
And I'm sure it's gonna be things like uh professional, positive, uh uh creates a good environment, uh, et cetera, is a good team builder or whatever it is.
00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:53.360
And what I say is, all right, gang, um we'll give you a few minutes to think about that.
00:38:53.599 --> 00:39:01.840
I'm not gonna ask you what it is you want to be famous for, uh unless it's in a smaller well work environment where we can actually probe a bit deeper.
00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:04.159
But you've written down what you want to be famous for.
00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:15.440
I'm now gonna give you five micro goals that spell the word chaps, then if you implement them, I'm pretty sure it will help you to become famous for what you have written down.
00:39:15.599 --> 00:39:19.440
And I don't even know what it is that you have written down.
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:21.679
So we're talking about macro goal.
00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:23.599
What do I want to be famous for?
00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:28.880
Five chaps micro goals that will help you to achieve the macro goal.
00:39:29.599 --> 00:39:36.239
Is this a conversation typically that you're having with like a leadership team when you're preparing for a keynote engagement?
00:39:36.639 --> 00:39:44.000
Uh well, what I do with the leadership team or with the people who are bringing me in, I will ask them uh questions, questions, questions.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:45.920
What are the challenges that you have got?
00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:48.079
What are the issues that you have got?
00:39:48.320 --> 00:39:53.920
What would you like your team to be saying after the presentation?
00:39:54.320 --> 00:40:01.760
What impact do you hope my presentation will have in uh four, six, eight months' time kind of thing as well?
00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:06.320
So I try to get as much information as possible from the leadership.
00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:14.639
But what I also do, and I'm going to be doing it today because I've got a client in the auto repair industry uh that I'm doing a presentation and work for uh next month.
00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:17.920
I've spoken to their leadership team.
00:40:18.079 --> 00:40:24.880
I'm now going to go out and speak to some uh franchisees and see what their view is.
00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:28.800
Uh, because and you know this uh I'm sure as well as everyone else.
00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:35.599
Uh, what uh HQ says and what the fields say, not always in alignment, Sean.
00:40:36.400 --> 00:40:38.000
You never knew that, did you?
00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:39.599
Yeah, right, exactly.
00:40:39.840 --> 00:40:41.840
Surprise, shocking, shocking.
00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:42.639
Yeah.
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:59.599
Well, you have to thread this needle of doing something that is engaging through humor and and connects with people at this level of the feeling, but obviously leadership is making this investment in you to move the needle for them for the business, right?
00:40:59.840 --> 00:41:00.159
Yeah.
00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:02.880
Not not just to make people laugh.
00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:06.639
And I think that that's a really, really special craft.
00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:23.920
What what would um what would you suggest to somebody who has accumulated a lot of um expertise in in their career and they've thought about, which I think a lot of people have, going out and doing and doing speaking.
00:41:24.159 --> 00:41:32.320
What would you recommend based on all your lessons learned, maybe the first two or three steps that they should take down that path?
00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:41.840
Um I think a couple of uh things I'm gonna brain freeze uh now, but uh uh in terms of the organization.
00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:49.199
But uh see if you can speak to some local community groups about your your messaging.
00:41:49.440 --> 00:42:02.400
Um uh so I mean there's a lot of maybe it's the Chamber of Commerce or there's uh some other groups that might meet on a weekly basis where you could do a 10-15 minute pitch about your your message.
00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:08.239
Um which is now the question is are you doing a pitch about your message or are you doing a pitch about your business?
00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:09.679
There's two different things, I think.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:25.679
Um so if you're speaking to uh organizations or local community groups, give them something that they can take away and maybe they'll start thinking, hey, if I want to implement that, uh Brian or Mary Lou is the person that I will bring in to do that.
00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:28.800
So that would be the the first uh suggestion I would make.
00:42:28.960 --> 00:42:37.599
Uh do some presentations at local uh community areas, uh organizations, chambers of commerce, that that kind of thing, uh Lions groups, uh, etc.
00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:39.840
We're always looking for speakers.
00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:47.039
Uh if you want to improve your your craft, I would suggest uh joining Toastmasters.
00:42:47.199 --> 00:42:58.559
I mean, I was a pretty good I could sometimes say I was a good talker before I started doing professional speaking, which is different to being a good speaker.
00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:02.639
Uh and I think that's a mistake that some people make.
00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:08.239
So I continuously try to refine my craft as a speaker.
00:43:08.559 --> 00:43:30.960
And I I think one of the other things that I do suggest to people, and this is really important, I think, for entrepreneurs as well, whether it's the speaking business where I pay attention to evaluations, or you're an entrepreneur, you're uh got a plumbing uh company, or you got a financial services company, or some of that, ask for and pay attention to evaluations and to testimony.
00:43:31.440 --> 00:43:42.079
Uh no, um, some of them might break your heart, but that's what people are saying about you, or the the content that you got.
00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:52.719
And when I speak to uh associations, uh a lot of the associations will ask people to fill in their content uh afterwards, uh filling forms afterwards again, continuing yet.
00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:55.440
Uh they get comments about the speakers, uh, etc.
00:43:55.840 --> 00:43:59.840
Now I rarely know get any negative feedback on that because.
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:01.119
Yesing you on that.
00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:14.639
But uh earlier on though, I was getting comments like I wish he had covered X, Y, or Z, or he spent too much time on uh XYZ, and then the next person will say he didn't spend enough time on XYZ, etc.
00:44:15.039 --> 00:44:27.519
But definitely I paid attention uh to them and try to figure out okay, what is it that I could uh do to enhance the program and the way I'm communicating it.
00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:44.960
And if you're an entrepreneur, it is really important to know what people are saying about you because I I use the phrase Sean your behavior creates your brand, your behavior determines what people say about you, what people say about you is your brand.
00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:46.320
Right.
00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:47.840
So that's on point.
00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:48.800
That is on point.
00:44:49.119 --> 00:44:49.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:57.280
Um it's like uh I mean, I I if you look at what uh so is happening Southwest now at the moment, the airline.
00:44:57.440 --> 00:45:01.199
I mean, I I posted something out to friends uh last night or we posted something.
00:45:01.360 --> 00:45:07.920
The number of people that are bitching and moaning about Southwest now because of their new seating assignments is astonishing.
00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:14.239
They thought they were gonna come up with some better way to get people on board by charging more for the bags or charging for the bags.
00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:14.719
Right.
00:45:14.880 --> 00:45:16.559
How did they think that was gonna work?
00:45:16.800 --> 00:45:29.119
But my god, whatever seat I mean, I flew in two weeks ago and I didn't have a problem, but uh whatever seating arrangements they have got now, their Twitter X is blowing up with negative comments about Southwest.
00:45:29.360 --> 00:45:38.159
So what Southwest is saying and what the customers are saying are two different things, and the brand ultimately is what's in the customer's mind.
00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:40.000
Interesting, yeah.
00:45:40.239 --> 00:45:50.480
Seemed like a bold move because Southwest built its brand on being different and then ultimately pivoted to uh yeah, we're gonna be the same.
00:45:50.719 --> 00:45:53.280
And but anyway, great stuff.
00:45:53.519 --> 00:46:00.079
So speaking locally, building your credibility, getting word out on your expertise.
00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:07.679
Um, and then Toastmasters, great place to start, but as you've already said, you're still engaged with Toastmasters.
00:46:07.760 --> 00:46:11.119
So it's a place to begin to grow, but also keep growing.
00:46:11.280 --> 00:46:18.079
And then solicit feedback to help you get better, but also to understand what people think about you.
00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:25.280
Solicit candid feedback so you understand what they're saying when you're not in the room, because that is your brand.
00:46:25.519 --> 00:46:27.199
Those are really great.
00:46:27.360 --> 00:46:37.199
I love them because they're all clear and they're very actionable things that that people can do if they're interested in in following you uh on this on this path.
00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:43.760
Well, Connor, this has been such a great, enjoyable, and enlightening conversation for me.
00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:49.280
Uh thank you very much for our for everything that you brought to this conversation.
00:46:49.519 --> 00:46:52.480
And I wanted to ask you a couple questions, wrapping up.
00:46:52.559 --> 00:46:52.880
Yeah.
00:46:53.119 --> 00:47:04.639
The first one is do you have any activities that you enjoyed when you were growing up that ultimately shaped who you are today?
00:47:04.800 --> 00:47:10.480
Or maybe there it's an activity that you did that is still something that you enjoy today?
00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:11.920
I right.
00:47:12.400 --> 00:47:19.280
Yeah, I mean, as uh when I was uh growing up, uh I used to play uh soccer.
00:47:19.360 --> 00:47:25.119
Uh I was actually uh watched by uh a Manchester United Scouts at one stage.
00:47:25.360 --> 00:47:34.880
Um now I do clarify that, Sean, by saying that they were actually watching some other player on the team, not me, but I mean I can say I was watched by Ben United Scouts.
00:47:37.440 --> 00:47:39.519
Words can be very interesting.
00:47:39.760 --> 00:47:56.159
Uh but I used to play as a goalkeeper, and uh but I I ultimately, I mean, I was reasonably okay at school's level, but I'm not that tall, so uh when I got to college, etc., it became a bit of a uh an issue, and I was never able to make the the higher grades, etc.
00:47:56.400 --> 00:48:04.239
But I think what I realized uh there was that uh I uh um you win a lot, uh you'll you lose a lot.
00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:07.440
Um sometimes you don't have the the gifts that other people have got.
00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:11.920
So if I'd been six foot three or four, I might have uh played more college soccer, etc.
00:48:12.239 --> 00:48:15.440
But ultimately, though, I'm still a mad Manchester United fan.
00:48:15.599 --> 00:48:21.920
Uh I bleed Man United Red, and uh I it's just one of the things that I really enjoy.
00:48:22.079 --> 00:48:26.880
And um if I can just give you one other quick example about where you capture humour.
00:48:27.679 --> 00:48:36.400
I was at uh so I'm talking to an audience now, Sean, about um paying attention to your customer, uh paying attention to the feedback from them, etc.
00:48:36.639 --> 00:48:42.159
And if you can build a connection with your customer, uh you're going to get results out of it.
00:48:42.320 --> 00:48:43.440
Here's an example.
00:48:43.599 --> 00:48:50.000
Uh a couple of months ago, I'd last year, went to my uh cardiologist for annual checkup.
00:48:50.159 --> 00:48:52.960
The following day, he sends me his medical notes.
00:48:53.039 --> 00:48:53.840
He says, uh, Mr.
00:48:53.920 --> 00:48:57.119
Kane is a Caucasian male with a history of XYZ.
00:48:57.360 --> 00:48:59.119
Second paragraph starts.
00:48:59.360 --> 00:49:01.920
He is a Manchester United supporter.
00:49:02.239 --> 00:49:02.559
Okay?
00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:05.360
This is in medical documents.
00:49:05.760 --> 00:49:06.800
And what did I do?
00:49:06.960 --> 00:49:07.679
I laughed.
00:49:07.760 --> 00:49:09.519
And what did I do when I heard myself laugh?
00:49:09.679 --> 00:49:11.920
I captured it and I recorded it.
00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:15.760
I use that anecdote regularly when I'm talking to people.
00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:20.880
Pay attention to your customer, play it back, they'll think you're wonderful.
00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:27.039
I don't know whether the guy is good or not, but I told that story to everyone, and I'm referencing and I'm saying, go to this guy.
00:49:27.280 --> 00:49:34.960
Now, thankfully, I've never had to really find out whether he is good or not, but boy, that little simple one line made a real difference.
00:49:36.159 --> 00:49:37.199
Oh, that's awesome.
00:49:37.360 --> 00:49:38.320
That's awesome.
00:49:38.559 --> 00:49:51.519
So, um, Connor, how can our listeners stay connected with you, follow you, or maybe work with you as a keynote, or perhaps uh through one of your your workshops?
00:49:51.840 --> 00:49:55.119
Well, uh, Sean, first of all, thanks for the opportunity to speak with you.
00:49:55.199 --> 00:49:56.559
I really enjoyed it.
00:49:56.880 --> 00:50:01.280
And what I suggested well, the brand is Irishman Speaks, all one word.
00:50:01.440 --> 00:50:03.760
That's the website, Irishman Speaks, one word.
00:50:04.079 --> 00:50:12.000
I'm on uh LinkedIn, uh it's uh Connor Caneen, and uh Connor is spelt with only one N.
00:50:12.559 --> 00:50:17.360
As I told you previously, I think my parents couldn't afford the two N's back in Ireland, all right.
00:50:17.679 --> 00:50:23.599
And uh that's another example of a piece of evergreen humor I can use again and again and again.
00:50:23.760 --> 00:50:28.480
And you are salespeople or entrepreneurs, once you get a little nugget, you can use it again.
00:50:28.639 --> 00:50:35.920
So uh LinkedIn, uh I'm on uh Twitter, YouTube as well, with uh a lot of videos up there.
00:50:36.239 --> 00:50:42.159
And uh the email is CC Connor Kaneen at Irishmanspeaks.com.
00:50:42.559 --> 00:50:54.880
And my promise is that my audience will leave with a smile on the face, with a spring in the step, and memorable, actionable takeaways to keep on keeping on during what are challenging times, Sean.
00:50:55.599 --> 00:50:56.639
Excellent, excellent.
00:50:56.800 --> 00:50:57.760
Well, thank you, Connor.
00:50:57.840 --> 00:51:06.079
Well well, one final question just popped in my head is do you feel like your Irish brogue is a competitive advantage in this marketplace?
00:51:06.639 --> 00:51:09.119
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely.
00:51:09.360 --> 00:51:30.000
And uh I think what happens, uh Sean, is that um people when I'm doing uh maybe a little bit of cold calling, uh quite often it just pays pays it pays dividends because um Mary Lou, who's on the other end of the phone, should say, Oh, my great-great-grandmother's granduncle's aunt came from uh Ireland and they owned a castle over there.
00:51:30.079 --> 00:51:32.639
In fact, they own two castles over there, kind of thing.
00:51:32.719 --> 00:51:35.199
So, yes, uh, it does pay a difference.
00:51:35.360 --> 00:51:43.440
Bottom line though is I've got to provide good content uh uh that people will be able to use to improve their people performance and productivity.
00:51:43.679 --> 00:51:44.079
Excellent.
00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:45.039
All right, Connor.
00:51:45.119 --> 00:51:46.320
Well, thank you very much.
00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:47.760
It's been a pleasure, Sean.
00:51:47.840 --> 00:51:48.239
Stay well.
00:51:48.400 --> 00:51:49.039
Cheers.
